Q. I’m 54 with more than 20 years in a FERS 6c law enforcement officer covered position and am considering a transfer to a noncovered position as a Department of Defense civilian. This will allow me to continue federal service beyond the age 57 mandatory retirement for LEOs. Can I expect the transfer between agencies to be smooth? Are there any transfer pitfalls I should be aware of? Will an agency transfer adversely affect my LEO retirement?
A. While there is no guarantee, there’s also no reason to think your transfer to another agency wouldn’t be smooth. Because you already have 20 years of covered service under your belt, transferring to a noncovered position will not affect your entitlement to have those 20 years calculated using the more generous formula for law enforcement officers when you finally retire.
